Tag: crucified life

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62 When God Calls You When God calls you forward, you must step out in faith, even if a thousand voices call you back. When you see Jesus in front of you, heading in the direction he wants you to go, you must follow. No matter where He leads. A voice inside of you may tell you to take one last glance back–to look back with longing at all that lies behind you. But this is not the voice of Jesus. It Read More

A Series by Jill Holler – Part 6 If you died with the Messiah to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Colossians 2:20 HCSB The message of this verse brings anguish to my heart. It cuts through every ounce of greed, lust, and pride inside of me, laying bare the thoughts and attitudes of my heart (Hebrews 4:12). Like a double-edged sword to my heart and soul, this verse opens up all of the hidden, deceptive thoughts inside of me and reveals them plainly before my eyes. Yes, the word of God has an astounding way of cutting through everything false in me to reveal the corruption of my own heart. Desperately I Read More

A Series by Jill Holler – Part 5 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:27-28 A Radical Response Following Jesus tends to defy common sense. It often requires that we examine the two paths before us and then choose the one that seems most illogical. Most certainly, there was nothing logical about Levi, a wealthy tax collector, walking away from everything he knew in order to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus had no home, no place to sleep, and no earthly riches to offer. Yet when He said, “Follow me,” that is exactly what Levi did. Read More

A Series by Jill Holler – Part 3 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21 If you read my last post, “What to Lose: My List of Failures,” you know that one way Satan tries to gain victory over me is by tempting me to focus on all of the mistakes I have made–instead of focusing on God. Similarly, the issue I address this week relates to my self-focused view. It has been one of the biggest challenges of my Christian life. I pray that Christ will free me from its grip, so that I can gain abundant life in him. And I am praying the same for you. Plans and Perceptions My mind Read More

A Series by Jill Holler – Part 2 Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Micah 7:8 The Dreaded Feeling of Failure Although I know God can redeem my life from any sin or mistake I have made, there is something about failure that makes me want to crawl into a hole and hide. I have a hard time getting past the self-inflicted shame I feel when I’ve messed up in a pretty big way. Perhaps it’s the uncomfortable feeling of humiliation or the countless eyes of scrutiny that I perceive to be upon me. Maybe it’s the quiet, underlying feeling that somehow in relation to others, Read More